Cursive L
Lowercase l is the alphabet's cleanest stroke: up, loop, down, tail — nothing else. It is the first loop letter taught and the foundation for h, b, k and f. Both forms numbered below, with a printable sheet and the narrow-loop rule.
Cursive capital L
- Loop at the top line, turning left.
- Retrace down to the baseline.
- Sweep out horizontally — long, letter-wide.
- Let the tail rise slightly at the end.
Lowercase l in cursive
- Sweep up from the baseline to the top line.
- Loop back left — a narrow sliver.
- Come straight down to the baseline.
- Exit right with a small tail.
Watch for: the loop widening — a fat l-loop eats horizontal space and crowds every word it joins.
Trace and write — lllll
Cursive capital L trace — LLL
Write on your own
PNG version — the exact file Download PNG saves
The pure loop
The lowercase l is cursive reduced to its essence: sweep from the baseline up past the middle line to the top, loop back left, come straight down, exit right. No bowl, no hump, no cross — the letter is a single climbing loop and it teaches the loop motion every other tall letter reuses. That is why programs teach it first in the loop family: once l is automatic, h is "l plus a hump," b is "l plus a bowl," k is "l plus a knot," f is "l with a tail and a crossbar." Five letters, one stroke, purchased once.
The capital L is the lowercase wearing a long coat: loop at the top line, but instead of stopping at the baseline, the stroke sweeps out in a wide horizontal tail — the longest exit stroke in the alphabet. That tail is the capital's signature and its trap: too short and L reads as a grown-up l; too long and it strangles the next word. Aim for a tail about as wide as the letter is tall, and let it rise slightly — a sinking tail looks tired.
Capital L in cursive
The cursive capital L is a loop that becomes a wave: the same top loop as the lowercase l, a retrace down to the baseline, and then the widest exit stroke of any capital — a horizontal sweep roughly as wide as the letter is tall, rising slightly at its end. Compared with print L there are no corners and no foot; the whole letter is one flowing gesture from loop to wave.
The tail is the calibration. Too short and the capital reads as a grown-up lowercase l; too long and it invades the next word's space on the line. Aim for letter-width, ending with the slight upward lift that keeps the stroke looking intentional. Library, Love and Luck keep this capital in front of classrooms all year — it is one of the first capitals children actually want to write, because it signs so many good words.
Teaching tips
Loop like a needle thread
The l loop should be the narrowest stroke on the page — a sliver barely wider than the pencil line. Wide l-loops make tall letters eat two spaces each.
Name the derivatives
After l is smooth, narrate the family: "l plus hump is h... l plus bowl is b." Learners who hear the recipe remember they already own the hard part.
Capital tail: wide and slightly rising
The big L's sweep should be roughly letter-width, lifting a touch at the end. A drooping tail is the difference between L and a sickle.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write a capital L in cursive?
Make a loop at the top line turning left, retrace down to the baseline, then sweep out horizontally into a long, slightly rising tail — the widest exit stroke of any capital.
How do you write a lowercase l in cursive?
Sweep up from the baseline to the top line in a narrow loop, come straight back down to the baseline, and exit right with a small tail.
Why are my cursive l's too wide?
The loop has lost its sliver shape — usually from writing at speed before the motion is set. Trace slowly with the cue "up like a flagpole, loop like a ribbon," and check that the loop is barely wider than the stroke itself.
Which letters are built from the l stroke?
h (loop + hump), b (loop + bowl), k (loop + knot) and f (loop + descender + crossbar) all begin with the identical tall loop — mastering l pre-loads the whole loop family.
Why does cursive capital L have such a long tail?
It is the letter's signature — the widest exit stroke of any capital, roughly as wide as the letter is tall and rising slightly at the end. Capitals never connect, so the sweep is pure flourish: long enough to declare itself, short enough to let the next word breathe.